<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The First Night by TheCookieAlchemist</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740319">The First Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCookieAlchemist/pseuds/TheCookieAlchemist'>TheCookieAlchemist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Astrid Hawke: The Champion of Kirkwall [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Romance, Suggestive Themes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 19:01:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740319</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCookieAlchemist/pseuds/TheCookieAlchemist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Astrid Hawke and Anders wake up after their first night together. Nothing graphic, but there are some mildly suggestive comments.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anders/Female Hawke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Astrid Hawke: The Champion of Kirkwall [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The First Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For the first time in a long time, Anders felt comfortable. He wasn’t waking up in the midst of Darktown, the screams and rats squeaking around him, but in a warm, soft bed, a fire crackling in the hearth nearby. For once, the spirit within him was quiet, not near the surface, threatening to burst. And beside him...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, my mother was right,” Astrid Hawke said sleepily. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>better when it’s with someone you care about.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders’ heart leapt, and he looked over at Hawke, her hair pleasantly tousled, wearing nothing but the sheet covering them and a cocky, satisfied grin. Had he ever seen a sight so beautiful? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“From that look, it seems like you want seconds,” Hawke said, her arms wrapping around Anders’ neck. “Kirkwall doesn’t need saving for once, and it’s still quite early.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve wanted this for so long. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I love you,” he said. “I’ve been holding back from saying that for a while. You should have a normal life, not be tied down to a fugitive.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tied down, eh?” Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I didn’t know you were into that type of thing, but I certainly wouldn’t argue if you wanted to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders laughed. “That’s not really what I meant, Hawke,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>joke. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Well, mostly,” Astrid said, stretching over to kiss Anders on the cheek. “You should really have figured out that I don’t want normal. I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders hardly dared to believe it. “You really do? You would tell the world, the Knight-Commander, that you love an apostate and would stand beside him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want, I’ll make a big sign saying ‘Astrid Hawke loves Anders’ and hang it in Meredith’s office. Or maybe I can get Varric to write a book about it. You know how well his stories do,” Hawke said, a mischievous glint lighting up her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders smiled back at her. “I still kind of feel like this is a dream. I’m terrified I’ll wake up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s not,” Astrid said, running her fingers through his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing Anders wanted to do was ruin the mood, but he felt he needed to tower. “Not to darken the mood, but the Templars were sniffing around the clinic again. I might need another place to stay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you could always stay here,” Hawke said. “I would appreciate the...company you provide.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean, stay with you, live here?” Anders asked, hardly daring to believe it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Astrid said. “Right here, in Hightown. Where you won’t have to worry about the Templars. Where I can keep you safe. I don’t ever want to lose you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nor I, you,” Anders said. The thought of it, of being free to love someone without the Circle or the Templars to tear them apart...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then it’s settled. It’s you and me to the end,” Astrid said. She pulled back a bit, a sultry look on her face that would make Isabela proud. “Now, if we’re done with the fuzzy, emotional stuff, perhaps we could have some more fun?”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders laughed, grinning like a schoolboy. “How could I say no to that?” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>